INSTANT HISTORY: THE WEEK.

The historical character of our neighborhood is based on...

August 10, 2003

The historical character of our neighborhood is based on the strength of the housing on the river and the uses we have made of it.'

-- John Friedman, who lives along the North Branch of the Chicago River and owns one of the docks, piers and fences that have sprung up over the decades on land claimed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

'The public has paid to clean up the river. It's time to ensure that the public gets its river back.'

-- Laurene Von Klan, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, which supports the district's attempts to get rid of the private structures